Minnesota Highways, October 1953

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VOL.  2, NO.   12
1246 University Ave., St. Paul 4, Minn.
OCTOBER,   1953
Governor   Spurs   War   On   Traffic   Deaths
Ail State tmployes Urged To
Cooperate For Safety
The increasing toll of death on the highways has aroused
Governor C. Elmer Anderson with the futility of the needless
slaughter by automobile of so many innocent persons.
iv^^fc The Governor has made a plea to all state employes to
l^Ke special efforts to help reduce the relentless toll of human
lives. He urged a state-wide "slow-down" campaign on streets
and highways as one means to that end,
One of the charges placed
against Minnesota drivers is that
they have developed very bad
driving habits, and are allowing
themselves to continue those bad
driving habits to the hazard of
others. Excessive speeds, the failure to grant others the right of
way when due, and other examples of careless and discourteous
habits have been cited as making
drivers "accident-prone."
Asks   Employes  Aid
As one of the first positive actions to be taken to cut down accidents, Governor Anderson requested that all motor vehicle operators make a self-inventory of
their own driving habits to insure
that each is doing his best to keep
j^^highways safe,
^rlien he asked that each state
employe spread the campaign of
highway safety among his family,
friends and neighbors; in fact, at
any time that he may be in position to influence others. This responsibility devolves upon each
and every state employe, both on
and off the job.
There are at least 12,000 state
employes who could provide the
leadership for traffic safety should
they all cooperate. The fact that
they are driving today would indicate that they have the physical
ability to do so safely. However,
it is a personal thing to make sure
that those physical qualifications
are up to par. If sight or hearing
has become impaired, necessary
corrective measures, glasses or
hearing-aids, should be a must.
But  most  of  all,   these  drivers
make    a    self-inventory   of
their mental attitudes toward driving. Most all persons closely connected with driving safety emphasize that too high a percentage
of our accidents are caused by
drivers with improper attitudes.
The Minnesota Autombile Association included this recommendation in its 12-point platform
on traffic safety: "There should be
an intensified and continuing program of education, aimed at both
drivers and pedestrians, on the
subject of common, every day
courtesy on our streets and highways."
Must Obey Traffic Laws
At the recent safety conference
called by Gov. Anderson, Chief
Highway Patrol Officer Earl Larimer told other members of the
Minnesota Safety Council that the
public must be convinced that
they must obey the laws made to
save their lives.
The lack  of respect for  traffic
LOOK OUT
FOR US/
Patrol Officers Commended For Aid
Two Minnesota Highway Patrol
officers have been commended recently for "off the highway" emergency work that resulted in the
saving of one life and unsuccessful
efforts to save another in two water
mishaps in northern Minnesota.
The death of one of the victims
was   attributed   to   having   been
regulations is becoming too widespread, one of the indications of
improper attitudes on the part of
drivers  and pedestrians.
This is a point that is considered very serious by Commissioner M. J. Hoffmann. He has requested MINNESOTA HIGHWAYS to carry his message that
he considers it extremely improper
for Highway Department employes to be convicted of traffic violations involving motor vehicles,
whether stateowned or personal
cars.
"Inasmuch as the Drivers License, Highway Patrol, and Traffic and Safety divisions are integral parts of the Highway Department, all employes should drive
and walk in such a manner as not
to bring discredit to the entire department," the Commissioner emphasized.
"It is regretable but significant
that with all the safety engineering that the Department has at its
disposal, we cannot always reach
the minds of the careless drivers.
Better law enforcement may be of
value, BUT it is not my wish to
have state employes needing this
kind of control," he went on.
"It is my sincere desire that all
of the department employes cooperate fully with measures necessary to reduce the horrible
slaughter on our highways. Let
all of us be examples of good drivers in our communities, and perhaps by our example and our respect for traffic laws we can do our
share in making Minnesota a much
safer state in which to drive", Mr.
Hoffmann said.
struck on the head by either the
propeller or the side of his boat.
In both cases the officers were
called to assist local authorities.
The first aid training given the
officers was put to good use as they
administered artificial respiration
immediately upon arrived.
In reporting the near drowning
at Pike Lake near Duluth, Dr. W.
A. Swedberg, Duluth, wrote Chief
Earl M. Larimer: "... A short
while later Highway Patrolmen
Stuart Anderson and Andrew J.
Pickar arrived. They immediately
assumed charge, placing Mr. Ne-
veau from his back onto his abdomen and continued artificial
respiration for an additional 30
minutes. They operated very efficiently and after some 15 minutes
of artificial respiration on their
part we obtained a small breathing
mask and oxygen tank from the
ambulance. The pulse became
palpable after Mr. Neveau had
received a very few minutes of
oxygen therapy. However, the
artificial respiration was continued
for an additional 10 minutes. Then
the patient was placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
During the trip Officer Pickar had
to again give artificial respiration
on the way as the victim had stopped breathing."
At the dock, artificial respiration was given by the shoulder
and arm lift method, but while
oxygen was being administered
the officers changed to the
Schaefer prone method.
"Your men did an excellent job
and know their artificial respiration and we were grateful to have
their help," said Dr. Swedberg.
The second victim was a Dr.
Alfred Borgen of Duluth whose
death was a combination of
drowning and brain injury.
Patrol officer Earl Johnson was
the first officer on the scene. In
his words:  "When I arrived some
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